Ignition device.



1). HOLDEN.

IGNITION DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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EW W M. W

DELOS HOLDEN, OF UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.-

IGNITIoN DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented llIal'l 1912.

Applipationfiled .Tune 20, 1907. Serial No. 379,825.

To all whom it may concern Be it ,known that I, DELOS HOLDEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Upper Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain' new and useful Improvements in Igni-.

"=- tion Devices, of which the following is a description.

My lIlVBntlOll relates to ign tion devices for use in connection with internal combustion engines, for firing the charge at the proper time. and more particularly engines comprisinr" plurality of cylinders wherein the charges are fired at different times.

'lIeretofore-in engines of this character where the spark at each gap would be greatly dijump spark igniters have been. used, it has been usual'to use a separate induction coil for each spark plue, because if two or more of the igniters were connected in multiple lnim'she'd in volume and might fail alto gether in'the cylinder wherein the charge is under compression and where the firing-r is desired. It has also been proposed to use a rotary distributor in thesecondarv circuit forconnectingr several spark plugs consecutively with a single (Oll so that only one ignition device is in circuit at the time the sparkoccnrsr Such devices :u-e,howerer, ex-

pensive to manufacture as they require very perfect insulation of parts. 'lhey are also objectionable in that'they require driving mechanism, and are subject to considerable wear since they are driven at highspeed.

My invention hasfor its" object the provision of an-' ignition system whereby a plu- '.-.:;'ralit y of cylinders may be fired by means of a s ngle Induction coil, the several igniters or plugs being connected in multiple and ])10V]S101'l being made for varying the length of the spark gap of each ianiter, preferably by means of the pressure in the-cylinder so that a spark will occur in only one cylinder at a time, namely. that in which the charge is under compression and ready to be fired. My invention consists in features herein after set forth and claimed.

Reference is hereby made to'the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of my invention applied to a two-cylinder engine;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the igniters or spark plugs preferably used in connection with my system; Fig. 3 is a.bot-

tom plan view ofthe same; Fig. 4 is a'longitudinal section eta modified form of igniter;

Fig.- 5 is a bottom plan view of theisa'me;

and F g. G-is a sectional 'vie'w'of a m'Odification in=which the igniter is operated. me-

chaniczilly instead of by the-pressure within;

the cylinder.

In all the views corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals Referring to Fig. 1, a and b are a air of cylinders of a four-cycle internal com ustionengine, the pistons c and dofwhich move in the same direction at the same time, the

cycles however, alternating so that the charge is being compressed in the cylinder 1; while the cylinderb is exhausting and vice versa; each of these cylinders is provided with an igniter 1, the two igniters being connected in multiple with respect to the isec ondary of the induction coil (2. Thej pri-' mary of the coil is connected with'the -bat f f and circuit closer ,lq"

tery or accumulator 1n the usual manner.

The igniter 1 comprises a sleeve or bas2 l of metal having a threaded portion 3adapted to engage a threaded aperture in the wall of the cylinder or combustion chamberand making electric contact tln'ouglrthe-same with one end of the secondary .of the. in-

duction coil. Within the sleeve 2 is an in sulating sleeve 4 of porcelain or other suit able material having a flange 5 clamped between washers or gaskets 6,.6, by a. nut; 7 threaded within the sleeve 2.," Cemented within thenpper portion of the' sleeve 4 is a metallic plug: 8 having bore Q'eXtending longitudinally thereof. The upper end of the plug 8 is threaded as shown at/10, t'o-re ceive nuts 11 and 12 between which the terminal of the conductor leading from the' secondary of the induction .coilmaybe clamped. The lower endof the plug 8 is cupped as shown at 13. \Vithin the lower end of the sleeve 4 iso conductor 14 having at its upper end a rounded head 15 and at its lower end a 'disk 16 provided with apin 17. slightly less than the bore of the lower portion of the sleeve 4 so asto allow an unre strained longitudinal movement of the conductor 14, which permits the pin 17 to move into nearness to the condnctor-2 without con- The diameter of the conductor 14 is tacting therewith. a The operation of the device is as follows;

As the piston compresses the charge within thecylinder the pressure thereof causes the gages the cup 13 and thereby closes the pas- 111 conductor 14 to rise until. the head 15 -en sage 9 whereby thccscapc of the charge therethrough is prevented, at the same time the pin 17 approaches the sleeve 3 until it assumes the posit-ion indicated in dotted lines in Fi 2 so that the current induced in the secondary easily jun'ips across the gap are two extended gaps in the circuit. one between the plug 8 and head 15. and the other between the pin 17 and sleeve 3; there will. therefore, he no spark produced in such cylinder since the resistance of these spark I gaps is too great to permit the passage of a current. As soon as the exhaust in the fired cylinder opens, the pressure falls and the weight of the conductor Ll causes it to drop back to the position shown in full lines. It is evident, therefore. that by causing the compression to take placein the cylinders a and Z) alternately, the igniters will operate alternately to fire their respective charges in the same way as though only one were in the'circuit and since compressiontakes place in each cylinder during ohly one-fourth of the entire time, the system can be readilly applied to engines of either four, three or two cylinders.

In the device of Figs. 4 and 5, the insulating sleeve is formed in two parts, 4 and 4", and the same are clamped within the sleeve 2 by the nut 7. A metallic plug 8' having a bore 9 and a cup 13'is cemented within the insulator 4* and is'threadd to receive the nuts 11 and 12. A conductor 14 carriesatits lower end the disk 16 havinga pin 17 and is rounded at its upper end to engage the cup 13' A collar 19 is secured to the member 14' and the same'is normally held ntirely through the porcelain sleeve 4 and.

in the position shown by a spiral spring 20. which bears at its lower end against the said collar and at its upper end against the top of the recess 21 formed in the body of the insulator 4. the pin 17 being thereforefree to move into ncarness to the conductor 2 without contacting therewith. The operation of this igniter is-substantially the same as that of Fig. 2. the. only ditl'crence being that the spring 20 is relied upon for holding the conductor H in its normal or open c'ir-- cuit position, and the igniter'is therefore operative in any position whereas that of Fig.2 must occupy a position which is sub stantially vertical.

.In the device of Fig. 6, the igniter comprises a central electrode 14 which 'passcs is surrounded by a spring 20, which tends to depress the electrode. The upper end of the rod 14' engages the forked end of a serves to elevate the rod 14 and thereby shorten the air gap of the igniter at the time for. ignition, the cam for each cylinder being of course set differently from the others and. corresponding with the cycle of operation of its own cylindercurrent may spring 32 secured to the sleeve 4.

Having no. described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

. 1. In an-internal combustion engine, the eoml'iina ion of a pluralityof jump-spark ignition plugs. each of which is adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber, a source of high potential current to which said plugs are connected in multiple, the spark gap within each of said plugs being normally too'great for the passage of current. and means for successively shortening the spark gaps of said plugs to such an extent as to permit the passage of current in be applied to the rod 14. by a contact theform of a jump-spark, substantially as of a plurality, of jump-sparkignition plugs,

each of which is adapted to be fixedly applied to' a combustion chamber and comprises a member capable of being moved to shorten 'the 'spark gap within. the plug, means for moving said members successively'and a source of high potential current to which the plugs are connected in multiple. substantially as set forth.

A jump spark ignition plug adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion ehamher, comprisingafixcd conductor, a conductor normallyremote therefrom and free to more into nearness thereto, and means for restraining said movable condnctor when in a position adjacent but out of contact with said fixed conductor.

4. A. jump spark'ignition plug adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber and comprising a fixed conductor and a con-. ductor normally remote and insulated therefrom, and having a projection free to move into nearncss to said fixed conductor without contacting therewith, and means for restrainingsaid movable conductor when said projection is in a position adjacent but outof contact with said fixed conductor.

5. A jump spark ignition plugadapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber and comprising a fixed conductor and a conductor normally remote tnerefrom and free to he moved into proximity thereto by pressure in the combustion chamber to which thedcvice'is applied, and means for restraining said movable conductor when in aposition adjacent but out of contact with said fixed conductor.

6. in an internal eoml'iustion engine, the

; combination of a plurality of jump-spark lever 30 operated by a rotary cam 31 which 1 ignition plugs each of which is adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber and comprises conductors normally remote from and relatively movable into proximity to each other by pressure in the combustion chamber, and means for successively compressing the contents of said chambers and simultaneously energizing the plug applied to the chamber within which the pressure is increased, substantially as set forth.

7. An ignition plug comprising outer and inner conductors insulated from each other. said inner conductor comprising a fixed member and a movable member, said movable member having a projection, and the arrangement being such that there are normally two substantial gaps in the circuit, both of which are shortened by movement of the said movable member.

8. An ignition plug comprising outer and inner conductors insulated from each other, said inner conductor comprising a fixed member having an air opening therethrough, and a movable member adapted to close said opening when subjected to pressure within the cylinder to which it is applied and having a projection adapted to be brought into proximity to said outer conductor without contacting therewith.

9. In an internal combustion engine, thc combination of a plurality of jump-spark ignition plugs, each of which is adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber,

; an induction coil to the secondary of which the plugs are connected in multiple, the

spark gap within each of said plugs being normally too great for the passage of current, means for successively shortening the spark gaps within said plugs to such an extent as to permit the passage of current in the form of a jump-spark, and means for simultaneously energizing the primary of said coil whereby a jump-spark is produced in one of said plugs to the exclusion of the others, substantially as set forth.

10. :In an ignition system. a source of high potential current, a plurality of jump-spark ignition plugs adapted to be fixedly applied to combustion chambers, said plugs being connected in multiple to said source of curber and comprising a pair of conductors normally separated by a gap too great for the passage of the igniting current and free to move with respect to each other-without contacting, whereby the spark gap is sl1ortened, substantially as set forth.

12. A jump-spark ignitionplug adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber and comprising a pair of conductors normally separated by a distance too great for the'passage of the igniting current, one of said conductors being movable to shorten the spark gap to such an extent as to allow the passage of a jump-spark, substantially as set forth.

13. A jump spark ignition plug adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber and comprising a pair of conductors insulated and normally remote from each other, and capable of relative movement to shorten the spark-gap, and means for limiting said movement so as to permit. the conductors to occupy positions adjacent but out of cont-act with each other. I

14. A jump-spark ignition plug adapted to be fixedly applied to a combustion chamber and comprising a pair of conductors insulated from each other and relatively movable to diminish the length of the spark gap when the plug is subjected to pressure in the combustion chamber to which the de vice is applied, and means for restraining said movement when the conductors are sufficiently close to each other to form a workable spark-gap.

This specification signed and witnessed this 19th day of June, 1907.

DELOS HOLDEN. \Vitnesses:

VVM. M. STooKBRInon, \VALoo M. CHAPIN. 

